Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
almost 3 years ago
– Mon, Nov 01, 2021 at 12:34:23 PM
Greetings Garou,
We're in the final days countdown - just over 30 hours to go now - with the campaign ending tomorrow, October21st at 2:00 PM EDT. While there are still hours left to attract some final backers, the finish line is fast approaching. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics that we've looked at over the past week to make sure that everyone has all of the information they need to support the project in the way that works best for them.
October 21 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next
Whether you've just changed shape for the first time or have fully unleashed your rage, these are good items to review to make sure that we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out the Final Days Countdown/ Resource post. It has links to the manuscript previews, interviews, and podcast discussions.)
Gonna tray to get another day out of this red cape...
Refresher Course
We've had, and will have, many new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).
MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider this about 94.8% finished. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone know exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!
Oct 17 update - REWARD TIERS - your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Level to choose to help support this project.
Your key decision:
PDFOnly - The CrescentMoon Tier is what you're looking for
DeluxeHardcover+ PDF - The HalfMoon Tier fits the bill
Waitand See? - If you want access to the manuscript previews but don't yet know if you want the PDF or hardcover rewards, the WaxingMoon tier also grants you access to the Pledge Manager after the campaign so you can upgrade your pledge in the future.
ADD ON REWARDS - the other half of the Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging, possibly adding on a PDF copy of the W20 Rulebook, one of the other Onyx Path 20th Anniversary core rulebooks (V20: Dark Ages, Mage 20th, Wraith 20th, or Changeling 20th), one of the four W20 PDF Bundles, or even the Storyteller Screen that we unlocked via Stretch Goal!
Choose Wisely
Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.
Remember, your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS + SHIPPING. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.
Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists. If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Waxing Moon tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.
On Thursday, I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.
But until then, we're going to hopefully hunt down one final Stretch Goal achievement as we race through our final day of the campaign!
On the first day of the campaign, right after we funded, I posted our final Stretch Goal:
At $85,000 in Funding – Howls of the Apocalypse – A chronicle incorporating plots from the pages of The Apocalyptic Record will be merged with the Ready-Made Characters to create a scenario for the Howls of the Apocalypse supplement PDF. All Kickstarter backers receiving the W20: Apocalyptic Record PDF will automatically have this added to their rewards list.
That was probably pretty bold on day one, since there wasn't any certainty that we'd get here - or even close - and I normally reveal goals as we work through the campaign. But, I figured if I can't be bold and aggressive on a Werewolf campaign, then when could I be?!
And here we are, hunting down this target right at the end of the campaign! Amazing.
STRETCH GOAL REWARDS
Over the course of this campaign, we've added new W20 content via the following Stretch Goal achievements.
ACHIEVED! - At $55,000 in Funding – W20: Apocalyptic Record Storyteller Screen – A three-panel Storyteller Reference Screen with charts and information for running a W20 game will be created and offered as an Add On to any deluxe hardcover reward tiers for +$25.
ACHIEVED! - At $70,000 in Funding – Icons of Rage – A character folio introducing the W20 traits for legendary Werewolf characters will be released as a supplement PDF. All Kickstarter backers receiving the W20: Apocalyptic Record PDF will automatically have this added to their rewards list.
ACHIEVED! -At $75,000 in Funding – Ready-Made Characters – A full complement of ready-to-play characters will be released as a PDF supplement, providing examples and allowing players to jump right into the action! The Ready-Made Characters PDF will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the W20: Apocalyptic Record PDF.
MILESTONE MARKERS
And, on a parallel path, while we were hunting down Stretch Goal targets, we were also marking some key milestones on our journey!
MILESTONEACHIEVED! - At 775 Backers – Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Opportunity – An Apocalyptic Record-themed Kickstarter Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
MILESTONEACHIEVED! - At 825 Backers – Digital Wallpaper– Dress up your monitor with some action-packed artwork from the Apocalyptic Record. This reward will be added to the rewards list for all backers.
MILESTONEACHIEVED! - At 875 Backers– W20: Apocalyptic Record VTT Token Pack– Digital assets will be created to support online play for the Apocalyptic Record. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
That's an amazing list! Your support and enthusiasm will keep Matthew and Leath and their werewolf team busy for quite a while!
As we head into our final day, let's continue to keep our excitement and enthusiasm high, sharing this project with prospective backers, and working our way towards our final transformational Stretch Goal. Together, we can release the Howls of the Apocalypse!
YOUR REWARDS!
That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish W20:The Apocalyptic Record! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - is a PDF and/or deluxe hardcover copy of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have the Iconsof Rage supplement, the Ready-MadeCharacters supplement, or - if we really push - the Howlsof theApocalypse supplement added to your rewards list as an even bigger thank you for our success in this campaign! Not to mention the amazingly useful VTT tokens, plus the cool desktop wallpaper and more!
OneMore Stretch Goal, Not Much More Time
I know this last number may seem daunting, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goal if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! I'm confident that final goal is within striking distance, though it won't be easy. I'm sure we'll be watching right up until the end of the campaign, but it is completely within our grasp!
So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!
And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by expanding everyone's stretch goal rewards!
Remember, only the funds generated during the Kickstarter campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!
THIS CAMPAIGN ENDS AT 2:00 PM EDT on THURSDAY, October 21st, 2021!
#FinalDay
#WerewolfTheApocalypse
#TheApocalypticRecord
Backers Only - New Compiled Manuscript Link
almost 3 years ago
– Mon, Nov 01, 2021 at 01:44:36 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT
almost 3 years ago
– Fri, Oct 22, 2021 at 02:10:02 AM
Good morning, Garou!
Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! What a fun ride this has been - we started off with an amazing first day and had a great ride right up to these final hours! These past few days have been wyld!
As I prepare to post this, we are just over 7 hours from the end of this campaign, and approaching an amazing finish!
Refresher Course
We've had, and will have, many new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).
MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As I’ve mentioned in other posts, the complete Preview Manuscript is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider this about 94.8% finished. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone know exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!
Oct 20 Update - STRETCH GOAL REVIEW - Check out all of the above and beyond rewards we're getting thanks to the community! That's a pretty impressive list! Can we add one more before the end?
At $90,000 in Funding –Increased Art Budget – Additional funds will be allocated to the art budget for the W20: Apocalyptic Record book, adding even more epic action and more inspiring illustrations!
Oct 17 update - REWARD TIERS - your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Level to choose to help support this project.
Your key decision:
PDFOnly - The CrescentMoon Tier is what you're looking for
DeluxeHardcover+ PDF - The HalfMoon Tier fits the bill
Waitand See? - If you want access to the manuscript previews but don't yet know if you want the PDF or hardcover rewards, the WaxingMoon tier also grants you access to the Pledge Manager after the campaign so you can upgrade your pledge in the future.
ADD ON REWARDS - the other half of the Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging, possibly adding on a PDF copy of the W20 Rulebook, one of the other Onyx Path 20th Anniversary core rulebooks (V20: Dark Ages, Mage 20th, Wraith 20th, or Changeling 20th), one of the four W20 PDF Bundles, or even the Storyteller Screen that we unlocked via Stretch Goal!
Shipping is calculated automatically by Kickstarter, based on your location. Remember, Add On rewards are listed in the second stage of your pledge process (before you confirm your pledge), and will also be made available to add on in the post-campaign pledge manager sent out in about 6 weeks.
SO: Ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier you want, and select any Add On options you wish to include. AND - make sure that you are comfortable with the Pledge Total amount, in terms of it covering everything you want and its'affordability.
I'm going to speak against my own self interest for a moment, and repeat myself one last time - though 2021 has been a bit better than last year, the world is still unpredictable and some futures are a little less certain. Ensure that your circumstances enable to afford this pledge at this moment - Kickstarter will begin processing payments after the campaign ends and neither Onyx Path nor I have any involvement in that process. If you are unsure of your financial situation but don't want to miss out, please pledge for a tier you can afford now and know that you will likely be able to upgrade to open pledge levels in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for some time before the book is completed.
2. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Once you're comfortable with your pledge, please ensure that the payment and contact information in your kickstarter account is up to date and correct. Making sure your e-mail is entered correctly and your credit card isn't expired will speed up the next step process. (I have learned from experience!)
WHAT COMES NEXT?
3. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS
First, we celebrate. Kickstarter will send out a howlin' "Hooray!" email confirming the campaign ended with final totals. We'll give socially-distanced high fives and virtual paw bumps in the comments section.
Then, the Kickstarter payment process begins. Over the next week, kickstarter will begin charging your payment methods for the total amount you've pledged.
If there is an issue with your payment method (expired credit card or incorrect number or pre-paid Visa awaiting funds, for example), Kickstarter will keep trying to process payment during this time.
Once this step is done, which will likely be the second week of November, Kickstarter will confirm everything with Onyx Path and I can begin to set up the project with BackerKit and link it to the Kickstarter data.
BackerKit is a robust fulfillment integration and pledge management program that will allow us to work with all of the data and distribute the rewards to you. It will take me a few weeks to set the project up. Once I've got it all entered and built, the team from BackerKit will review to ensure I didn't mess anything up too badly, and then I'll make any changes they've suggested and we can move on to the Survey stage.
4. BACKERKIT SURVEYS
Once BackerKit says I'm good to go, I will send out a survey to all backers. This is why confirming your e-mail is important!
The BackerKit survey is both a verb and a noun - it will collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group (enabling Onyx Path to set print runs, prioritize new projects, and fine-tune future kickstarters), as well as providing a general review or summary of the reward tier you've chosen, confirm all of the rewards associated with that reward tier, and confirm your total pledge amount.
I expect Surveys to go out by the end of November2021.
During the Survey period, you can choose to increase your reward tier or add on additional options. If you've gone back to work or found an alternate income source and decide it's time to trade up to the hardcover version of the book or include another add-on, you can do so at this time. Note, you will not be able to reduce your reward tier selection, only increase.
If there was an issue with payment to Kickstarter, you should also be able to address that at this point in the process.
The survey will ask you to confirm your shipping address, even though it'll be some time before we ship out the final product. Do not worry about moving before shipping begins - you will be able to update BackerKit right up until the point that we begin fulfilling the final book. We will send out a notice prior to lock down so you can update any information.
I'll also use the Survey to confirm some details for the premium reward tiers.
5. REWARD DISTRIBUTION
This is a long process, but I will send out regular updates (usually at the end of the month) to keep you up to speed on our progress. There will be strings of updates that are just "still working on it," but I will share new artwork or information when I can.
Eventually, we will have a completed PDF of W20:The Apocalyptic Record. We'll take some time to distribute, review, and compile any errata or corrections that need to be made. When we've made any necessary changes, we'll send out updated copies of the PDFs and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand and the deluxe hardcover versions.
It's yet another long road ahead, but one that we wouldn't be on if not for your faith and support.
#TheApocalypticRecord
#WerewolfTheApocalypse
Final_Stretch_Goal_Revised_V2.2_final
almost 3 years ago
– Fri, Oct 22, 2021 at 02:04:38 AM
WOW WEREWOLVES,
I thought we were gonna have to really push to hit that $85,000 target by the end.
And then I thought it would be amazing to just make it near the $90,000 target before we finish.
But, here we are, still 6 hours from the completion of this campaign, and you've done it again!
ACHIEVED! -At $90,000 in Funding –Increased Art Budget – Additional funds will be allocated to the art budget for the W20: Apocalyptic Record book, adding even more epic action and more inspiring illustrations!
So, since we're still raging strong, let's see if we can't set one more final final final Stretch Goal for these last hours...
We've previously unlocked the Icons of Rage supplement via Stretch Goal achievement, and the Apocalyptic Record VTT Token Pack via Backer Count Milestone. Let's see if I can't mash the two together to give us one last taste of victory and a little something to add to everyone's digital rewards list...
At $95,000 in Funding –Icons of Rage VTT Token Pack– Digital assets will be created to support online play for W20, featuring the legendary characters presented in the Icons of Rage supplement. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
If you've played online as much as I have over the past 18 months, every little bit of online art you can add to a game is a great help. So, let's see if we can't get some Icons of Rage assets ready for VTT play.
Let's keep on raging! Keep on right until the apocalypse!
#FinalHours
Stretch Goal Review... Revised!
almost 3 years ago
– Fri, Oct 22, 2021 at 01:50:52 AM
Hello there, howling commandos!
I'm laughing because earlier today I set up our "final" Stretch Goal target, adding a scenario/story hooks onto the RMC reward and turning it into Howls of the Apocalypse.
Well, the way we've been raging over these past few days, it's no surprise that - with the strength of more than 1000 backers - we smashed that "final" goal!
ACHIEVED! -At $85,000 in Funding –Howls of the Apocalypse – A chronicle incorporating plots from the pages of the Apocalyptic Record will be merged with the Ready-Made Characters, transforming it into the Howls of the Apocalypse scenario supplement PDF. All Kickstarter backers receiving the W20: Apocalyptic Record PDF will automatically have this added to their rewards list.
Excellent job, everyone!
But let's not cancel the Apocalypse quite yet - let's see if we can't push for one more Stretch Goal target.
At $90,000 in Funding –Increased Art Budget – Additional funds will be allocated to the art budget for the W20: Apocalyptic Record book, adding even more epic action and more inspiring illustrations!
If we can keep pushing and continue to build up this campaign, let's put some additional funds into the art budget! Not only will we get more werewolf art, but we'll also have some bragging rights about smashing another Stretch Goal!
Will we get there? I don't know - I'm pretty delighted and amazed that we've come so far - but with time left, let's continue to get wyld and see if we can't unlock one more Stretch Goal before the end!
